El Torcal via ferrata with North Walians

With Scott and his friend we met last year in El Chorro. This season the Welsh they came in a bit extended group of 4 and ready to try the El Torcal or Camorro Alto via ferrata. It is one of the most interesting via ferratas in Andalucia, although quite short (40 minutes from the bottom to the top, if you are fast) it is very steep at the first part of 30 meters. In fact it’s a bit overhanged and distances between the steel handles at some sections are bigger then they should be on the via ferrata ladder.

Anyway guys came in very good mood: giggling, some juicy swearing and commenting on each other. After the short equipment presentation we started ascending to the bottom of the rocky pillar where via ferrata starts. I saw adder snake between the stones – it is not very common in Andalucia or maybe not so easy to find.

The belaying at the first steep section went very smoothly and very soon all team got to the first comfortable ledge. Then we packed our ropes and rest of the climb we did with lanyards. The best part of via ferrata is tyrolian traverse, quite scaring if you have never tried that before. At this point it was very windy and cold, so nobody hesitated to clip to the tyrolian lines and cross to the other side of the gorge. We finished climbing at the small meadow full of flowers – that happens only in May.